Jason Plato, Fabrizio Giovanardi and Darren Turner shared the three victories in this weekend's HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship rounds at Donington Park.
Plato and Turner made history by becoming the first drivers to win races in the BTCC with a car powered by diesel - namely SEAT's Leon TDI - but it is Vauxhall's Giovanardi, the reigning champion, who leaves the Leicestershire circuit in command of the points table as Britain's premier motor racing series now moves on to Thruxton in Hampshire for its rounds there on Sunday 18 May.
Plato was today's big winner - he arrived at Donington only sixth in the points standings but has now risen to second to challenge Giovanardi who narrowly beat him to last year's title.
His win in today's first race was followed by second and third place results to complete what has been a busy period in his life having become a father earlier in the week.
Italian Giovanardi, who took eighth and fourth place finishes either side of his race two victory in his Vauxhall Vectra VXR, said: "It's getting like 2007 again with me and Jason at the front but there are so many drivers who could still come into the title race - some of them had bad luck today and they could easily be up there fighting with us. OK, maybe I beat Jason at Thruxton last year but this time it is going to be very equal. SEAT has got the diesel working strongly. I expect a very big fight there."
Oxford-based Plato commented: "We've now pretty much hit the sweet spot with the Leon TDI and Darren and I really feel we can give the Vauxhalls a fight, but there will be other drivers who will play a factor not just at Thruxton but for the remainder of the season. Congratulations to SEAT, though - the team has transformed the car's performance in the last six weeks and we've had a really strong day today. And now we're right back in it with my old mate Fabrizio."
A measure of the BTCC's competitiveness is the fact that Turner's race three win makes him the seventh different driver in just nine rounds to stand on the top step of the podium. He remains fifth in the standings but is right behind third and fourth-placed drivers, Vauxhall's Matt Neal and Team Halfords' Gordon Shedden. Slumping from second to sixth after a difficult day is BMW Dealer Team UK driver Mat Jackson who has also been replaced as the leading Independent driver by Adam Jones.
Team Air Cool SEAT Leon driver Jones crossed the line as the leading privateer in race three, but only after the John Guest Racing Honda Integra of Andrew Jordan had masterfully taken the honours in both races one and two.
Meanwhile, Vauxhall - whose third driver Tom Onslow-Cole achieved podium finishes in all three races having topped Saturday's qualifying session - continues to lead SEAT in the Manufacturers' standings, albeit by the reduced margin of just 15 points. Its VX Racing squad also remains ahead in the Teams' championship. Jones' Air Cool outfit has moved to the top of the Independent Teams' table. For full race reports visit the BTCC's official website www.btcc.net.
BTCC race 1 result Donington Park (provisional):1. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon TDI, 18 laps in 25m08.830s2. Matt Neal (GBR), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra VXR, +1.309s3. Tom Onslow-Cole (GBR), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra VXR, +1.602sFastest lap: Plato, 1m12.677s (96.95mph) NEW LAP RECORD
BTCC race 2 result Donington Park (provisional):1. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra VXR, 18 laps in 24m46.915s2. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon TDI, +2.880s3. Tom Onslow-Cole (GBR), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra VXR, +7.236sFastest lap: Giovanardi, 1m13.967s (95.26mph)
BTCC race 3 result Donington Park (provisional):1. Darren Turner (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon TDI, 16 laps in 21m06.582s2. Tom Onslow-Cole (GBR), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra VXR, +1.426s3. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon TDI, +3.003sFastest lap: Onslow-Cole, 1m13.937s (95.29mph)
Points tables - all provisional
Drivers: 1. Fabrizio Giovanardi, ITA, 91 points2. Jason Plato (GBR), 753. Matt Neal (GBR), 644. Gordon Shedden (GBR), 62= Darren Turner (GBR), 626. Mat Jackson (GBR), 597. Tom Onslow-Cole (GBR), 558. Tom Chilton (GBR), 379. Adam Jones (GBR), 3510. Colin Turkington (GBR), 33
Manufacturers:1. Vauxhall, 1982. SEAT, 183
Teams1. VX Racing, 1782. SEAT Sport UK, 1323. Team Halfords, 994. BMW Dealer Team UK, 565. Team Air Cool, 386. Team RAC, 34
Independent Drivers1. Adam Jones, 952. Mat Jackson, 873. Colin Turkington, 71
Independent Teams1. Team Air Cool, 962. BMW Dealer Team UK, 873. Team RAC, 82
